


A Witch's Guide to Heartbreak

by xenitiq



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:53:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23771140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xenitiq/pseuds/xenitiq
Summary: Alaric Saltzman has died of a supposed heart attack. The Mystic Falls gang has returned for the funeral, some with different reasons than others. Their presence, however, has triggered a series of events that would have to delay their departure. A new enemy has arrived, one that signals only the beginning of their troubles. Bonnie Bennett, a feared witch of the Bennett bloodline, has choices to make. As secrets come undone and more obstacles get thrown in their way, trusting anyone in the Salvatore School is nearly impossible.
Relationships: Bonnie Bennett & Lorenzo "Enzo" St. John, Bonnie Bennett & Malachai "Kai" Parker, Bonnie Bennett/Nora Hildegard, Damon Salvatore & Lorenzo "Enzo" St. John, Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman & Lizzie Saltzman
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30





	1. Everything's the Same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twt:  
> @xenitiq  
> 

The pair practically fell out the airport terminal in a mess of bags, smiles and laughter. They held each other’s hands, Bonnie holding the passports and papers while Enzo carried the bags. Beaming at each other, they walked out the airport doors, refreshed and glowing from the much-needed trip to Paris. 

Bonnie drew absent-minded circles on the back of Enzo’s hand. “It feels weird to be back,” she looked up to him. “Doesn’t it?”

“It does.” Enzo replied, meeting Bonnie’s gaze. “How do you think the Salvatore Boarding House is now?”

Drawing out a sigh, Bonnie shrugged. “With Ric gone, it’s…difficult to imagine how the students would be handling it. Especially Josie and Lizzie.” She dropped her gaze to the floor. “At least Caroline’s with them now.” 

Enzo laid his hand on the small of Bonnie’s back. “I’m here, Bon. Damon told me that he’d arrived in Mystic Falls an hour ago, so, you get to see Elena too. Everyone’s here for Alaric’s funeral. Everyone is someone’s emotional support system.”

The ends of her lips curled in a smile. “I hope you count me as yours.”

“Always.”

An hour and a half later, Enzo stepped out the taxi and began to unload the trunk with Bonnie’s help. The rumbling of the taxi engine grew quieter as the car left. Bonnie stayed silent for a moment, eyes wandering over the building. “It’s…the exact same. Everything is.” A smile grew on her face, and Bonnie’s features lit up.

Enzo swung one of their bags on his shoulder, stealing a glance at the radiance of her cheerfulness. Faint pink began to bloom on his cheeks, and despite himself, he mirrored her smile. He slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, planting a kiss on her head. “Hope everyone else is, too. Let’s go inside and so you can feel an actual mattress instead of a stiff airplane chair, alright, love?” 

Bonnie’s shoulders loosened, “I would kill for that.”

The two approached the boarding school and knocked on the door. Bonnie peeking through the decorative glass beside it. She could spot a hint of the golden, warm lights dancing through, and a figure with bright, blonde hair-

“Bonnie!” Caroline’s voice animated voice cheered. She engulfed Bonnie in a bone-crushing hug, to which she returned. 

“Caroline,” Bonnie said breathlessly, stepping back and holding Caroline’s shoulders. “You’re still exactly the same.” 

“Well, I’m still a vampire. But you look heaven-sent! Looks like Paris had a great effect on you. Oh, hi Enzo!” Caroline gave Enzo a quick hug, then stepped aside and gestured for them to come inside. “The others are in the room down the hall and to the left. I’ll take your bags.”

Enzo handed over the bags, thanking Caroline. He then held Bonnie’s hand, kissing it softly. “Ready?” he asked, his lips brushing against her knuckles, his gaze solely fixed on her, the only woman in the world to him. 

Butterflies fluttered in Bonnie’s stomach, and she cupped his cheek in her hand. Whispering, she said, “As long as you are.” 

A grin spread on Enzo’s lips, and he stepped in with Bonnie.

The witch wandered in, the smell of coffee wafting through the air, and the hum of chattering. Tears shined in her eyes, and her she started to pick up speed. Jogging to the room, she halted, and so did the chattering. Bonnie’s thoughts went quiet, and she scanned all the familiar faces.

At the end of the couch, sat Damon Salvatore, legs spread and posture relaxed, and Elena Gilbert nestled under his arm. On the other, sat Nora Hildegard, legs crossed and air around her impatient and stiff. Rebekah Mikaelson sat on an armchair next to her, the atmosphere around her calm and relaxed. 

Nora stood first when she caught sight of Bonnie. “Bonnie. It’s you.”

Damon stood next, then Elena, who attacked Bonnie with a hug, Nora’s statement swept under the rug. “Bonnie! It’s been years!”

Bonnie wrapped her arms around Elena, resting her head on her shoulder. “Oh, I know! I’ve missed you so much.” Her gaze wandered over, meeting Nora’s chocolate-swirl eyes. She tried to form a sentence, but her tongue turned to sand.

“So have I! Can you believe it’s been this long?”

Tearing her eyes away from Nora, Bonnie turned back to Elena. “No, I can’t. It’s…surreal.” she said, looking back to see where Enzo was. 

Damon and Enzo gave each other strong pats on the back, smiling at each other and already cracking jokes.

“Back from Paris, huh? I’d expected Cape Town.” Damon said with a grin, his eyes no less blue than they were years ago.

“I’d expected you’d learn that it’s Cape Horn, not Cape Town. And yes, I did say that, but ultimately, Paris seemed like a much better destination.”

“Well, not only did you come back, you came back with a stick up your ass. Or is it a baguette?” 

Both men laughed, and Damon reached over for a bottle of bourbon on the table. Before he could though, Rebekah snatched it from his reach. “Now is not the time to get drunk, Damon. Did you forget that you could have alcohol poisoning?”

“Old habits die hard. Give it back,”

“It’s been more than a decade,” 

“You know what’s also been more than a decade? Last time you saw me, Damon.” Bonnie said jokingly, crossing her arms and raising a brow at him. 

Enzo gave Damon a nudge towards Bonnie, and the two embraced. “Hey, Bon-Bon.” Damon said with a gentle smile. “How’ve you been?”

“Great, actually,” Bonnie replied, glancing at Enzo with a wide smile. Cheeks growing warm, Bonnie bit her lip to keep her smile at bay and looked down at the floor. She shook her head and turned back to Damon. “How’s Stefanie? Is she with you?” she asked.

“Of course she is. She’s sleeping upstairs in our room.” Elena replied, stepping forward. 

Damon grew serious. “Which reminds me- did you know that almost all my bourbon is gone?” His eyes narrowed to slits. “I’m starting to regret that I ever let this place become a school. How did poor Ric ever settle for shitty, store-bought bourbon?” 

Bonnie laughed, taking the glass and bourbon from Rebekah’s hand. “Oh, right, why are you here, Rebekah? I doubt it’s for Ric’s funeral. Not like you two were close.”

The original vampire sighed. “We weren’t. However, with Alaric gone, Hope’s alone. I can’t have that. So, I volunteered to help Caroline as a co-headmaster of sorts. My brother, Kol, said that he’d visit more often so Hope has somewhat of a father figure. That’s why I’m here.”

Bonnie could tell that Rebekah truly meant it, by the softness of her words and the value they held to her. A smile graced her lips. “That’s…great to hear, Rebekah. Hope couldn’t ask for a better aunt.” 

“I hope so.” Rebekah said softly.

Bonnie turned around to see Nora, sitting back down on the couch and picking at her nails nervously. As if automatically, Bonnie’s legs carried her to the couch, where she sat down next to her. Her lips parted as she tried to think of what to say.

“Nora, I-“

Before Bonnie could complete her sentence, Caroline came into the room. “Alright, people! We have things to discuss! Pour yourselves a drink, you’ll need it.”


	2. Not Very Fatherly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twt:  
> @xenitiq  
> 

The atmosphere was growing thicker, and everyone huddled together on the couch. Caroline remained standing, pacing back and forth. Tucking a wisp of her hair behind her ear, Caroline took a deep breath and faced everyone. 

“To start off, I’m glad everyone’s here, even under…unfortunate circumstances. Alaric’s funeral is two days from now, and we have to prepare and also help the girls with their grief, okay? Another thing I have to mention is that…this school isn’t as safe as I thought it was. As you know, I was out looking for a solution to the Gemini merge. The students have been fighting off monsters and getting involved with dark magic.”

Bonnie straightened, her grip on her glass of bourbon tightening.

Caroline’s throat bobbed, and she continued, “Turns out, they’d already done the merge. They figured out a loophole. Ric didn’t tell me about any of it.” Her knuckles turned white with rage that she bit down. “Rebekah’s helping me with getting the school back in order, and Nora volunteered to help the students. Like…therapy with magic. Thank you both for that, by the way.”

Nora smiled for the first time. “Of course,” Rebekah gave a humble nod.

Damon and Elena and glanced at each other in worry. Bonnie could tell that they wondered about Stefanie's safety, but stayed silent. A hand then held hers, and she looked next to her to see Enzo with his brows furrowed and jaw tight. Brown eyes slid to hers, and his demeanor eased. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles in soothing movements, then turned back to Caroline. 

“I’m sorry for starting off on such a heavy note. It’s difficult.” Caroline ended.

Bonnie set down her glass and stood to hold her hands. “It’s okay, Caroline. We all understand. I’m just glad to have you back.

A moment of silence passed before Care’s lips formed a smile. “Oh, Bonnie.” she said as she pulled her into a hug. “What would I do without you?”

Bonnie let out a small chuckle when they pulled away, then remained standing by her side. “Now that everything’s clear and we’re all aware of our current situation-“

“Wait.” Rebekah stood. “Did…did Hope use dark magic?”

“As far as I know, it was a few spells and that’s about it. Nowhere near as bad as Josie’s experience,” Caroline answered, her fingers interlaced. 

The knot in Rebekah’s chest alleviated, and she sat back down, leg’s crossed and nose scrunched in thought.

Bonnie also took a moment to process all the info she’d just received. She’d always known that there was a possibility that they’d stumble upon black magic, but nothing as severe as this. What monsters had attacked the school? Since when did monsters like that exist, anyway? It was confusing, and they’d need a plan, but needed to know what monster would come next.

Damon and Elena stood, holding each other’s hand. Damon spoke up, “We can figure out the rest in the morning. I miss kicking ass,”

“That’s if you’re still able to kick ass,”

“Is that an invitation?”

Rebekah rolled her eyes, scoffing.

Damon shot a grin and crossed his arms. “Anyway, Enzo and I can search the premises tomorrow morning.” He turned around to face Enzo, brow raised.

Enzo glanced at Bonnie then slowly nodded. “Alright, then.” He said, sharing a look with Damon that seemed to radiate an energy Bonnie didn’t quite understand.

“Maybe Bonnie and I could do research on what monsters might come, and what weapons we could need. If that’s okay with her.” Nora spoke up, toying with a honey-brown coil in her hair. A smile graced her lips, a smile Bonnie found herself looking at for a moment too long. 

“Of course it’s okay.” Bonnie smiled, though her skin felt like it was growing tighter.

Caroline nodded. “It’s settled, then. Rebekah can help me with establishing more safety rules and defences and stuff like that. Bonnie and Nora are on research duty, and Damon and Enzo search for them. Elena, I think it’s best if you take care of Stefanie.” she said. Slowly, Caroline seemed to regain her normal cheerfulness. “Now that the bad news are out of the way, let’s talk! It’s been years, and I want stories!”

Bonnie giggled, returning to her glass of bourbon as chatter began to fill the room again. Bonnie didn’t speak as much, but instead, she’d steal glances at the heretic. Her heart skipped a beat with every mesmerizing laugh of hers. Then she’d try to distract herself, turning to Enzo and laughing with him. But that damn heretic kept dragging her back, and she didn’t even know it. The cycle repeated over and over.

Soon, it was well past 2 in the morning, and everyone was growing tired. Elena was the first to leave, yawning and exhausted. The rest followed soon after, receding to their rooms. 

Bonnie turned the doorknob, pushing open the door as she walked in with Enzo. They were met with a queen-sized bed, fairy lights and paintings hung around the room. Potted plants sat on windowsills, and the smell of strawberry-scented candles wafted around the room. The witch let out an incredulous laugh. “Caroline keeps surprising me.” she said, running to the bed and jumping onto it. The mattress bounced in response, nearly flinging Bonnie to the ceiling. Her laugh echoed in the room, and Enzo seemed prepared to do the same.

“No, no, I will go through the roof if you jump onto the bed!”

“Buzzkill.” Enzo said with a laugh, picking up their luggage and unpacking. He tossed Bonnie a fresh change of clothes, to which she caught and began to change into them. 

A few minutes later, the couple slid under the bed sheets, facing each other. 

A hand held her cheek, and Bonnie looked to Enzo. His eyes were dull, different than they were downstairs, but surely it was because he was tired. She was, too. He still smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. 

In a soft voice, so soft that the darkness of the room had to lean in to hear, Bonnie asked, “Are you okay, Enzo?” 

The question seemed to take him by surprise. “Of course I am, love. Just tired from our flight. It felt good to see the others though. By others I mean Damon and Caroline, but you know what I mean.”

Bonnie laughed, knowing he wasn’t close with Rebekah, Elena nor Nora.

Nora.

The image of the heretic plagued Bonnie’s thoughts all over again. Her golden-brown locks, the way her eyes looked like pools of honey in the light, soft ski-

“You okay?” Enzo asked, snapping Bonnie out of her reverie. Pulling her closer, he let her rest her head on his chest.

“Of course I’m okay. I get to see my friends. It’s still a shock that Ric’s dead, though. The poor girls…how come he never told Caroline about all the problems happening here?”

A sigh flitted past Enzo’s lips. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem very fatherly to me. And as for that merge thing, I’m not too knowledgeable in the whole Gemini Coven stuff. However, something tells me that you’d tell the mother of your children that they tried to merge. He’s lucky that it worked out. Ric would have a lot to explain if one of his daughters was gone.” 

Bonnie pursed her lips, nodding slowly. “Let’s just…let’s just sleep, we’ll deal with it in the morning.” She reached over and pecked his lips before lying back down. As she fell asleep, the world dimmed and became a swirl of peaceful darkness.


	3. Hesitation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> authors twt:  
> @xenitiq  
> 

The grass felt soft against Bonnie’s skin. Her eyes fluttered open, and she was met with an endless blue sky. Pink petals surrounded her, and she sat up, weaving her hands through the blades of grass. Heart at ease, Bonnie stood, looking at the greenery around her. It was a picturesque field.

Until she tried to walk toward it. 

Bonnie slammed into a wall, stumbling back and feeling something wet in places she hit the wall with. Looking back, she noticed that there were black spots on the wall where the collision happened. Wiping at her face with the sleeve, she noticed the blue, green and white that was on her sleeve. Paint?

Approaching the wall cautiously, she pressed her palms against the barrier, and felt the wet paint stick to her fingers. She still stood on grass, but when she reached to feel it once more time, it was of plastic. Confusion marred her features, and she turned around-

Only to see Malachai Parker on the other side of a drab, concrete room. 

The room was cleaved into two clean halves: Bonnie’s side, with fake greenery and colours, and Kai’s is completely black; a void. He stood there, a smirk on his lips as he waves with his fingers at Bonnie.

Her heart started racing. It can’t be, it’s been years, why is he manifesting her dreams now? Last she checked, he was in that prison world she made with the twins. So why was he here?

A blink later, and Kai was gone.

“Bonnie. Wake up, love,” Enzo’s voice rang through, startling Bonnie awake.  
Moving her hair away from her eyes, she sat up and backed into the wooden headboard. Her breaths were uneven, but she kept herself in check. Looking up, she saw Enzo coming towards her with a tray of goods. Just like that, her grip on the memory of her dream loosened. 

“Breakfast in bed. Figured you deserve it,” he said with a smile, sitting at the edge of the bed and setting the tray on her lap. 

Bonnie smiled, her mouth watering at the sight of stacked waffles, a bowl of strawberries covered in powdered sugar, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Leaning over, she held Enzo’s cheeks and kissed his forehead. “Thank you, Enzo. I don’t deserve you.”

Enzo reached over and held her hand. “Don’t be ridiculous, Bonnie. You deserve everything good in life,” he sat next to her, tucking her hair behind her ear and lowering his voice. “I love you, Bonnie Bennett.”

The edges of her lips curled into a grin, her cheeks growing warm. Picking up her fork and knife, the witch took a moment before she turned to Enzo and replied. “I…I love you too,” Her jade eyes tore away, her smile slipping. Suddenly, the food wasn’t so appetizing. Clearing her throat, she asked, “So…when are you going to search for monsters with Damon?” 

The vampire’s brows furrowed, “Right now, actually. He’s waiting for me downstairs. I’ll be back soon, okay?” his lips grazed Bonnie’s cheek before pressing a gentle kiss. “Enjoy your breakfast, love.”

“I will. Good luck,”

Enzo peeled himself off the bed, shooting Bonnie once last grin before stepping out the room. Bonnie waited until the pitter-patter of footsteps faded.

Once they did, the witch’s shoulders went slack, her grip on the utensils limp. The plates clattered against each other as they were pushed away. She changed into a fresh set of clothes, namely jeans and a black top. Now all she needed to do was find Nora. 

Butterflies fluttered in her chest.

Bonnie quickly ignored the sensation, heading down the stairs and to the library. With a hair tie, she tied back her hair, with two strands of it framing her face. 

“Bonnie.” Nora’s voice called out.

Looking over her shoulder, Bonnie could see the heretic standing a few feet from her. She turned to face her, somehow always taken by surprise at her radiating beauty. From the curves of her lips to, what Bonnie mistakenly took as brown at first, her olive green eyes. Her skin glowed in the dapples of sunlight. 

For the first time today, Bonnie felt a reluctant tug of a smile on her lips. “Nora.” She said. The taste of her name on her tongue was caramel, sugar and honey.

Nora’s returned the smile. “I have everything ready. I just need you…in the library.” her cheeks grew rosier. “Anyway, shall we go?” 

Bonnie chuckled, biting her lip ever so slightly. “Of course,”  
The two started walking to the library, looking anywhere but at each other.

Bonnie was the first to speak up. “So, what brought you to the Salvatore School?” she said, raising a brow.

“I was helping this family of witches, and the parents wanted their kid to go to a school that was safe for them, so, I began scouting for schools. And, well, when I saw ‘Salvatore School’ on my list, I was surprised. So, I came here a day ago to see it, and I spoke with Caroline. I volunteered to help when she mentioned all the problems that were happening.” The brunette answered, chewing on her lip and avoiding eye contact.

The witch looked at Nora incredulously. “Really?”

The heretic crossed her arms. “Is it so surprising that I’d do something out of the goodness of my heart?”

“It’s not surprising. I’m just impressed by the dedication,” Bonnie replied. It took her a moment to realize that they’d reached the library. 

“Well, I can be very dedicated if I care enough. Luckily for the school, I seem to care just the right amount.” Nora twisted the door handles of the double doors and pushed them wide open. She strode towards a round table, with open books and papers of hand-written notes sprawled all over. 

Bonnie dragged a chair and plopped down, sitting across from the heretic. “You’re doing a great job,”

Narrowing her eyes to slits, Nora angled her head. “I don’t need praise.”

A silent raise of the brow.

Nora cleared her throat, all of a sudden finding paper very interesting. “But thank you.”

The witch stifled a laugh, and then responded with, “Of course.”

Silence fell, and they began to work on their own bits of research, each one studying different lore and mythologies to cover more ground. Each time a magical weapon or talisman would be mentioned, they’d jot it down in their notes; along with warnings and drawbacks. They went through stacks of books, until, finally, they‘d slammed their last book shut.

“Well,” Bonnie said, pulling out her paper and waving it at Nora. “unless this Necromancer guy can create entirely new monsters, I think we’ve covered our first half of monsters.” she dropped her pen onto the table and let it roll away.

The vampire-witch across her smiled. “Do they really have all these talismans and magical weapons in the armory area?”

Bonnie tucked her interlaced fingers under her chin as she nodded. “Mhm. Alaric collected them before he got that heart attack. He doesn’t have all of them, but he has most.” The smile slipped from Bonnie’s lips at the mention of Alaric. 

Nora’s lips parted to ask another question about the armory, but then her gaze fell on Bonnie’s troubled face. Leaning closer, she asked, “Are you okay, Bonnie?”

The witch met Nora’s eyes, and hesitation wrapped around Bonnie’s chest. Before she could keep her mouth shut, the words tumbled out her lips:

“What if Ric didn’t die of a heart attack?”


	4. I Hate Him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twt:  
> @xenitiq  
> 

“What if Ric didn’t die of a heart attack?”

Nora sat up straight, taken by surprise. “What makes you think that?” the olive-eyed girl asked, leaning closer with her brows furrowed. 

Bonnie didn’t know how to explain it. The doubt nipped at her skin repeatedly. It just didn’t sit right with her. And that dream she had about Kai…it didn’t help. It could’ve been just a meaningless dream, no explanation needed; just triggered by her visit here. But this was Kai, once heretic leader of the Gemini Coven. Something didn’t sit right.

“I have a strong feeling that he didn’t die naturally. I think…I think someone killed him. And I might already know who, but, I’m not entirely sure,” the witch finally spewed out, a weight she didn’t know she carried lifting off her shoulders. 

If there was any hint of tranquility in the room, it evaporated quickly. Nora’s eyes met Bonnie’s, and she noticed that Nora’s hand reached for hers for a split second before yanking it back. She broke eye-contact and pursed her lips. “If you have such a feeling, then…I believe you. Who do you think it is?”

Bonnie looked away, her throat bobbing. “Uhm…well, I had a dream tha-“

“Aunt Bonnie?” Lizzie Saltzman’s voice interrupted abruptly.  
The witch stood, turning around to face the teen witch. Her worries dispersed, and a smile spread on both their faces. Bonnie let out a breathless laugh. “Lizzie.” 

It was almost enough to forget what they’d gone through.  
“When were you going to tell me that you were here?” Lizzie asked as she approached, pulling her into a tight embrace.  
Bonnie couldn’t help the grin as she hugged her back. “I came last night, but you were sleep. I couldn’t disturb you or your sister. Speaking of which-“ she paused as she let go. “Where’s Josie?”

Lizzie stepped back, tucking a hair behind her ear. “She’s still sleeping. Being taken over by darkness is tiring I’d imagine. Mom told you about that, right?”

“She did. And she also told me that you two…”

“Merged?”

“Yeah,”

“It’s not that big of a deal. We both survived, and Josie’s the new leader of the Gemini Coven. I settled for co-leader,” Lizzie said with a shrug. 

Bonnie raised her brows. “Settled?” she asked.

Lizzie tipped her head back and sighed. “Yes, I settled. But…Josie deserves to be first. I was,” she pursed her lips. “selfish.”

A smile graced Bonnie’s lips as she took Lizzie’s hands. “You’ve grown so much, Liz. I’m glad that you’d do that for your sister.”

The Gemini witch met her aunt’s eyes again, and she replied with a smile, “Thank you,”

“How did you survive the merge, anyway? That isn’t something easy to do.” Bonnie asked, crossing her arms and giving her a curious look.

“Well,” Lizzie said as she approached a table, sitting on it with her legs crossed. “Hope’s been running around with this mop-looking phoenix boy, Landon. Turns out, phoenixes exist for some reason. Point is, she tied my life to his, so when I die, I’d come back to life when he does.” she spread her arms out for emphasis. “Clearly, it worked. Maybe bird-boy did have a use for once,”

“A…phoenix,” Bonnie said quizzically. 

“It won’t make any more sense if I repeated it a second time,”

“I figured,” 

“Anyway,” Lizzie said as she hopped off the table, “you came just in time for Miss Mystic Falls. It’s in a week, which means we have to prepare from now. Thankfully, Mom’s here so we’ll have help,” her smile grew, and seemingly, so did her excitement.

Bonnie smiled. “Great timi-“ she paused.

Their dad was dead.

How could she forget? How does Lizzie seem perfectly fine? 

God, Bonnie, you’re a sucky aunt.

“Lizzie… you okay? Do you want to talk about anything? Like Alaric…” she asked in a softer tone.

The twin’s excitement deflated, and her smile fell. Her nostrils flared, and her breathing wavered. “I never want to hear the name Alaric ever again.” Lizzie’s eyes pooled with tears. 

Brows furrowed in confusion and worry, Bonnie came closer and dragged up two chairs. “Okay. Alright. Sit down,”  
Lizzie looked away, but accepted the invitation to sit. She wiped at her eyes and chewed on her lip. 

Bonnie sat down as well, leaning close and holding the sniffling teen’s hands. “First,” she said delicately, tucking a blonde coil behind Lizzie’s ear. “I want you to know that I’m here for you. You’re not alone. And everything your feeling is perfectly valid. Do you understand?”

“Y-yeah. Thank you. I’m sorry for bursting like that, I just-“Lizzie cleared her throat, and reached into a pocket of hers. A paper creased with folds peeked through, and she took it out with a wavering hand. 

“What’s this?” Bonnie asked, eyes narrowing to slits as she started to suspect what the paper contained. 

The paper was gently placed in Bonnie’s palm, and Lizzie answered, “Read it.”

Hesitantly, Bonnie unfolded the paper, the large, bold words at the top reading:

“LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ALARIC KENNETH SALTZMAN”

Oh, no. What have you done, Ric? 

The witch skimmed through a few lines, until she hit the core of the problem.

“2.1. I hereby nominate, constitute and appoint HOPE ANDREA MIKAELSON as Executor of this Will or if this Executor is unable or unwilling to serve, then I appoint CAROLINE ELIZABETH FORBES as alternative Executor.

2.2. I hereby grant the Executor all powers and authority as are required or allowed in law, and especially that of assumption.

2.5. My Executors shall have full and absolute power at their discretion to insure, repair, improve or to sell all or any assets of my estate, whether by public auction or private sale and shall be entitled to let any property in my estate on such terms and conditions as will be in the best interest of my beneficiaries.”

“What in the fuck…” Bonnie whispered under her breath.

This was disgusting. His daughters’ names are in none of the spaces they should be in. So why is Hope or Caroline? At the very least he could’ve chosen one of his girls. Clearly, he didn’t, and with no good reason. This wasn’t the Alaric she knew. Then again… she never knew much of the father version of Alaric. Not for long, anyway.

Bonnie’s attention snapped to the blonde again, and looking at Lizzie’s tear-ridden eyes only fueled anger she didn’t know had started to fester. “I’m so sorry, Lizzie,” she said as she pulled her into another hug, “I can’t imagine what you’re feeling right now. Why would Ric put Hope, though? I don’t understand,” she muttered, caressing her back in soothing motions. She could feel the Lizzie’s shudders that came in pangs, and with each wave, Bonnie’s heart hurt a little more.

“I want to know what I did wrong. I know it’s not Hope’s fault, she didn’t want to be roped into it. I understand that, but…” A whimper broke through. “the selfish…the selfish bastard never left an explanation in his will! What kind of coward does that? I hate him, Aunt Bonnie. I hate him.”

“Me too, Lizzie. Me too…” Bonnie said, holding her friend’s daughter closer. Looking over to the table where she and Nora once sat, she expected to see her- but she was gone. Only the papers they went through together sat on the table, and for a reason Bonnie couldn’t define, disappointment consumed her.


	5. The Ex-Vampire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twt:  
> @xenitiq  
> 

“So, where do you think these so-called ‘monsters’ would lurk?” Enzo asked, waving his hand dramatically when referring to the monsters.

“I don’t know, Enzo,” Damon replied as he twisted the doorknob, brows furrowed.

“Well, what’s with the stick up your ass? Human life not enough for His Majesty?”

“His Majesty is more than satisfied with being human. He is just annoyed that something as absolutely ridiculous as…monsters are infecting my once-home,”

“You’re the one who gave it away voluntarily, may I remind you,” 

“Whatever. Point is, since when do monsters even exist? Were vampires, werewolves, witches, and whatever unholy combinations you could do with those three, not enough? They’re just throwing more things into the pot of super-naturals, and we are the maids that clean the pot.” Damon said through gritted teeth, stepping out outside and being met with a stretch of towering trees not that far away. 

Enzo sighed, hesitating before patting Damon’s back. “Relax, Damon. Now that the responsible adults are here, the problem should be fixed in no time,”

Damon dragged his hand down his face in a groan, but complained no further. “Anyway, I think they’d be in the deeper part of the woods. And because we’re not white girls in a horror movie, we’ll explore it…explore it together, I guess. Just because it’d be dumb to split up,”

Enzo’s only hint of surprise was a blink. “Oh, okay. Definitely,”

The two walked in silence for most of their walk, a respectable and safe distance between them. There would be a clear of the throat here and there, before-

“So-“ Both men said at the same time.

“No, you go,” Damon said awkwardly.

“I’d rather you go first-“ 

“I’m serious, you go-“

“No, really, just go first.” Enzo insisted, face growing warmer. 

“Uhm, okay,” Damon said, quickly turning away with pursed lips. “So, how are we going to track these guys down?”

Enzo shrugged, scratching the back of his neck, “Our job is just to make sure that none of them are around right now. Can’t have those fragile, very-human bones breaking trying to,” he laughed, “pick up something,” 

Despite himself, Damon let out a snort. “God. You’re never going to stop mentioning that, are you?” He asked, tucking his hands in his pockets with his thumbs out. The rhythmic snap of twigs played as they trekked further, scanning all directions whilst doing so.

A grin tugged on Enzo’s lips, “Absolutely not. Human Damon is very fun to torment,”

“Well, I don’t regret it. I get to grow old with Elena and raise Stefanie without her wondering why her dad has a little too much very dark ketchup on his mouth,” The ex-vampire replied, leaning down to grab a sharp stick from the cluster of fallen branches. A muffled grunt flitted past Damon’s lips, and his eyes shot to Enzo’s in a glare when he heard his chuckle. “As I was saying,” he said, standing up and twirling the stick in his hand, “I much prefer this life. I do regret bringing Stefanie, though. A warning would’ve been great,”

“Sure. Also, does the Ric Caroline described seem any similar to the Ric you knew? I didn’t know the old chap much, but something tells me that he didn’t do something right.” 

Damon seemed to stay quiet for a moment, lips pursed in thought. “I think that Ric is…was an adult who knew what he was doing. I don’t doubt that. What Caroline described were just the exaggerations of a paranoid, control-freak mother,”

“A mother with very reasonable concerns, I’d think,”

“Sure. Anyway,” Damon brushed off, as though it was mere dust on his shoulder. “Ric is a better father than that, I’m sure of it.”

Enzo pursed his lips and raised his brows. “But, the way Ric seemed to treat his daughters...it seems unhealthy,”

“Since when do you decide what’s healthy and what’s not?”

“I don’t, but-“

“Exactly. You don’t. So don’t try to act like you do, Enzo.” Damon came closer to him until the vampire and ex-vampire were mere inches apart. 

They eyed each other down, Damon’s eyes threatening to go as low as to Enzo’s lips. Both men, as much as they tried to hide it, were starting to grow warm inside. Butterflies, wretched, malicious butterflies fluttered in their stomachs. 

No, this was wrong, wrong, wrong. Bonnie. Elena. 

Enzo came to his senses first, shaking his head and backing up. “Y-yeah, okay. Anyways, I, uhm, I have to go update them that there aren’t any monsters around them right now.” 

Damon was about to speak before he realized that they were already back where they started. He watched as Enzo sped away, the leaves near them rustling in response. The father pursed his lips, but followed soon after, making sure he took a completely different route. His mind was a fog, and he couldn’t think straight. Rolling his shoulders back to relieve himself of the weight.

The hum of chatter slowly buzzed through as Damon stepped inside, met with a bustling crowd of supernatural students. They were of varying ages, too. Which, made him question- would Stefanie meet the requirements of being supernatural?

Okay, no. Definitely not letting Stefanie be in this school. They only came for Ric’s funeral, and that’s it. They’d go home right after. Right? Right. Maybe lend a hand here and there, but they wouldn’t involve themselves. Like Enzo said, it was being handled by more adults now. Him, Elena and Stefanie would go back to their sweet, humble and human life.

Enzo.

Shaking his head, Damon cleared his head and made his way upstairs, shuffling past the students. He reached the room where his wife and daughter remained, overhearing their muffled voices. A smile tugged at his lips, and he twisted the knob, pushing the door open.

Elena sat on the bed with Stefanie, braiding her hair as they spoke, both calm and content. 

Stefanie had a large smile on her face, her blue eyes shining happily. Her steel gaze landed on her father at the doorway, and she waved at him. “Hey dad,” she greeted.

Damon’s wife looked to Damon too, shooting him a smile that mirrored Stefanie’s perfectly, down to the creases at the eyes. Elena twisted the hair tie in her hand around the end of Stefanie’s silky, brown braid, to which she adjusted to sit at her daughter’s shoulder. 

Stefanie turned to face Damon entirely, not leaving her comfortable spot on the bed. “Where were you?” she asked, raising a brow.

Damon approached the bed and plopped down beside Stefanie, “I was helping an old friend look around the school’s woods. Making sure everything’s safe, just for you.” He said with a warm smile. He could sense Elena’s uneasiness.

“Safe from what?” she asked, brows furrowed. 

“Safe from monsters,” Elena answered, sitting next to Stefanie. Her voice grew softer, “You see, dear, along with the vampires, witches and werewolves, turns out, there’s a lot more. We don’t know what they all are, so we’re playing safe and making sure that none of them come to hurt you or anyone else,” she assured, wrapping her arm around her daughter and pulling her closer. Looking to her husband, a question burned in her gaze.

Meeting her eyes, he mouthed, “Nothing.”

It seemed as though Elena grew both more worried but also more relieved.

He couldn’t blame her.

If they weren’t in the woods, then they had no idea where they were.


	6. All About You.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twt:  
> @xenitiq  
> 

“There you are!” Bonnie hissed as she pulled Damon into the room where the fireplace crackled like an inferno. 

The ex-vampire stumbled into the room, hissing back in pain. “What the hell, Bon?” 

“It’s not that painful, you baby.” she said as she locked the door, turning back to him. 

Damon raised a brow, throwing himself onto the couch with a soft thump. “I have a wife, you know-“

“What? God, no, ew. I’d never.” Bonnie said with pure disgust, but managed to smile a bit. However, it slipped when she remembered why she brought him here. “Listen,” the witch said as she stood in front of Damon, fingers interlaced. “Since we came here, I’ve been having a weird feeling surrounding Ric’s death,” she said hesitantly.

The atmosphere shifted as Damon started to grow serious. “Go on,” he ground out, spreading his legs and arms on the couch. His aura seemed to fester into something more irritable, something ready to charge at any moment.

She didn’t like that.

Yet, she continued, because this was something important to her. It could be a sign or threat. People deserved to know, and keeping it to herself would just be a grave mistake that she knew she’d regret later on. Plus, she was a Bennett witch. One of the most powerful witches to grace this Earth. Surely, she’d be taken seriously. Nora seemed to.

Ignoring the rumbling in her heart at the thought of her name, she took a deep breath. “I don’t think Ric died of a heart attack.”

Damon’s stare switched from the ground to Bonnie’s jade eyes. His manner turned solid and tough, as though Medusa had turned it to stone. Interest was not present in his eyes− only hard, ebony doubt and mistrust. Words didn’t crawl out his mouth, but she could sense the insults in their cocoon, preparing to burst out the moment the wrong word slipped. But, he may as well burst anyway.

The Bennett witch paused before continuing, the words a rush, and she wasn’t exactly sure how she’d said them until they were out: “I had a dream yesterday, when we all went back to our rooms. I was in a field, and it was great, until I tried to explore it and hit a wall. Turns out, it was painted to be a field. When I turned around, I realized that I was in a room. Half of it was painted like a field, and the other side was plain concrete. Just concrete.”

Now that she’d described the setting, she didn’t know how to describe who’d been in her dream.

Damon listened, his face devoid of emotion.

Pursing her lips, Bonnie added, “Kai was there. On the other side of the room. He waved at me, and, I just have this horrible feeling, Damon. I don’t…I don’t think he’s dead, and a part of me thinks that he had a role in Ric’s death,”

The cocoon burst open.

The father shot to his feet; the blankness of his stare replaced with fire that made the darkest pits of hell whimper. “Watch your mouth, BonBon. Ric’s death isn’t an excuse to make it all about you again. Kai is dead, and there’s no possible way he’s alive. It was just a dream you had. Didn’t you have alcohol, anyway?”

Bonnie flinched, taken aback. “Excuse me?” she asked, eyes narrowing to slits and fists curling.

“Are you denying it?” he challenged.

The witch’s jaw tightened. “Motus,” she growled as she flung her arm out.

Damon dragged out a croak as he was pinned to the wall by an invisible force. “Bonnie-“

“No. I’m not denying the fact that I drank before having that dream.” She started, her voice dangerously calm. “But I trust my feelings. I know that there’s something wrong, and I expect you to respect that,” she came nearer, head held high. 

Clawing at his neck, Damon nodded, his face ashen. It was great to be reminded that he was mortal now. 

Her voice seemed to turn soft, “What happened with Alaric is horrible,” her tone then shifted to steel. “but what would be worse than that is if he was murdered, and the perpetrator is still running around, scot-free. I may not know the connection to Kai yet, but I will find out.” she promised, the very atmosphere in the room hanging still.

Damon dropped to the floor when she let go, his breaths short and raspy. “I’m so-“ 

Bonnie raised a hand, and Damon went quiet. She sneered. “You don’t get to apologize after accusing me of that. Keep in mind, Damon, that you’re human now. I’m a Bennett witch. So you should be absolutely terrified. Understood?” she asked, crossing her arms, watching him as he rose to his feet.

He met her eyes, clearing his throat. “Got it.” He said, looking away.

Bonnie softened the slightest bit, and she gave him one last look before leaving. She couldn’t stand to look at him again. Not after all those accusations. 

The door clicked closed, and she ran her fingers through her hair. It’d grown a bit, but it stayed at her shoulders.  
Now that she’d gotten that out, she needed to check in with Caroline. Maybe help with planning the funeral. 

Bonnie didn’t know how to feel about Alaric. Caroline’s speech from when they first came made her rethink things. How could he even let this happen? To his daughters, especially. The will didn’t help.

Even thinking about it made her blood boil.

It was bad enough, letting Josie consume so much dark magic. Bad enough that he didn’t tell Caroline that his daughters had merged. Bad enough that monsters were infecting the school, and his daughters, along with Hope, were the ones who had to deal with it. The will, however, was what topped it all off. She hadn’t told Damon about it− or anyone, really. It wasn’t her business. Lizzie could tell them when she was comfortable to.

Lizzie. Bonnie couldn’t even imagine what she felt. 

Chewing on her lip, Bonnie made her way to what used to be Alaric’s office, passing by hornet’s nest of students. She’d always wondered what it would be like to be in such an environment; ignoring the death of their principal and monster infestation. Under the right circumstances, would it be a supernatural version of Hogwarts? Maybe, and, it was interesting to think of it that way. 

Minutes of navigating the Salvatore School later, Bonnie found herself outside the office’s door. After three knocks, Caroline swung the door open, her hair tied back into a bun with wisps of hair framing her face. 

“Oh, Bonnie, hi!” she said with a smile. Stepping aside and pushing the door wider, she invited her friend in. 

The witch walked into the room, analyzing the room. She noticed that while his desk was wiped clean, the shelves and decorations still seemed to be covered in a thin coat of dust. This was quickly explained by the rag and spray bottle Caroline held in one hand. 

“Did I interrupt?” Bonnie asked, a smile playing on her lips.  
Caroline shook her head. “No, it’s nothing important. I’m just cleaning.”

Raising a brow, Bonnie tilted her head in a way that clearly said that she doubted it.

The vampire mother sighed, “Okay, fine, I’m stress-cleaning,” she admitted, setting down the cleaning supplies and sitting down on the chair behind the table. “But it’s for good reasons. Alaric’s death, my kids, the monsters-“

“No, I get it,” Bonnie assured, her smile growing more empathetic. “You’re under a lot of stress. I’m just glad that you have healthy coping mechanisms. Is there anything I can do that would lift some stress off your shoulders? Say the word and I’ll do it."

Caroline shook her head. “No, not right now. But,” she paused, taking Bonnie’s hands in hers. “thank you. I needed to hear that today. I’m…I’m glad we’re all together.” she said, mirroring the Bennett’s smile. Letting go of her hands, Care then pulled open a drawer, the sound of wood scratching against wood echoing. After reaching in, she pulled out a notepad and pen. “However, if you could just list the weapons that we’re most likely going to need, that’d be great. Thank you for the help with researching, by the way,”

“Oh, of course,” Bonnie replied, taking the pad and pen and starting to aimlessly walk around as she wrote. It was a weird habit she’d developed for some reason. She supposed that touring a bunch of countries while recording everything in her travel journal would do that to her. 

As she walked around, she stopped by the shelves, peaking a glance at the titles. Intro to Magic, The Gemini Archives II− her reading flow was cut short when she saw a big gap between the books.

Thinking nothing of it at first, she was about to move back onto writing when she noticed the slightest shift in the wood. 

It was a rectangular outline, with a small curve carved inward in the center for a way to pull whatever that was open. The curiosity in her peaked, tingling at her fingertips to check what it was. Temptation winning over, Bonnie gently pulled open the wooden compartment. 

Inside, there was a deeper layer of wood, one shaped into a…knife?

A knife. Well, that was...concerning.

Why would there be a knife? And more importantly, why would Ric keep a knife? Unless it was−

A thought hit her, one that seemed outrageous, but, somewhat made sense.

Could it have been the knife Jo was murdered in by Kai? 

There was no other knife she could think of that would hold any other sentimental and weird emotional value. If it was any other normal knife, why not let it be in the kitchen? And, she knew it wasn’t for protection, because Ric carried guns, stakes, and vervain bombs, but never knives. 

Ugh, where was she going with this? Even she didn’t know. 

Shaking it off but storing that bit of info, she closed the compartment again, hoping that what she discovered had no meaning.


	7. It's a Mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twt:  
> @xenitiq  
> 

“You okay there, Bonnie?” Caroline asked, now standing behind the witch.

Turning around, Bonnie tore her eyes away from the compartment, handing over the notepad and pen. “Yeah, I’m good. I was just making sure I didn’t forget anything. Here.” 

She set them down on the desk, then tucked her hands in her denim jacket’s pockets. “I hope it helps. I have to go check on Josie before we start preparing for the funeral tomorrow,” she explained, eager to check on the twin. It was that, or she just wanted something to distract her before she thought about her again. 

The mother smiled, a grateful look in her eyes. “Thank you. She'll love that.” she assured. 

Bonnie returned the smile, nodding. “I hope so.” she responded before walking out to the corridor and closing the door behind her.

As she started to walk upstairs, she couldn’t stop thinking about that compartment. Maybe it was a leap, but something nipped at her, telling her that it wasn’t – that it was a cog in a big machine. Was she digging too deep? Was Damon right? That she was using Ric’s untimely death to make it about her and that she was selfish? Her thoughts rattled in her head, speeding around as they would come and go. They all left her doubting herself more and more. She shouldn’t have snapped at Damon like that, maybe. 

No, no, she was in the right. Maybe.

Shaking it off and rolling her shoulders back, Bonnie approached Lizzie and Josie’s room, hoping Josie would still be there. 

A few gentle knocks later and Josie’s voice rang out, “Who’s there?” 

“It’s me, Jo. Aunt Bonnie,” she called out, leaning against the door. “Can I come in?”

“O-oh, sure,” she responded.

Slowly, Bonnie turned the handle and pushed the door open, walking in with a warm smile. She closed the door behind her, taking in the view. 

Josette was still in her pajamas, her hair pulled back into a low ponytail apart from a few strands at the front. Her lips were parted, the shine that once used to be in her eyes diminished. She stood beside a row of plants that were full of life compared to Josie’s dull aura. She was grieving. That, Bonnie understood. 

The siphoner looked to Bonnie, wiping her hands with a cloth after tending to her plants and coming up to her. Opening her mouth to speak, she realized that she couldn’t think of anything to say. There wasn’t much to. So, the only thing Josie could muster was, “I missed you.”

Bonnie could hear her heart crumble hearing how Josie’s voice tried to stay stable as she spoke. If she knew about the will, she’d be destroyed. She smiled. “I missed you too, Josie.” 

Her eyes gave Jo a silent offering.

One moment, the witches stood there, unspoken words and questions hanging in the air. The next, Josie was in Bonnie’s arms, hugging her tightly. 

Though Bonnie wasn’t able to visit much, she always made sure that when she did, she’d make sure each visit was better than the last. Developing a good relationship with them, she hoped that they valued her as much as she valued them. She was glad that she did that, more than glad. Bonnie was also happy about the fact that they felt comfortable enough to vent to her. Only if she did too. They were happy that way. 

Bonnie hugged her back, arms locked in place. “You don’t have to tell me anything if you’re not ready,” she reminded Josie. “Whenever you’re comfortable,”

Josie let out a whimper, her lower lip wobbling. “Thank you. I just want someone to hold.” she admitted, her voice growing unstable.

Bonnie rubbed her back, head on Josie’s shoulder. “I always will be, okay? Even when things seem like they’re at their worst. I’m here.” 

They pulled away, and a hint of a weak smile played on the Gemini’s lips, but tears still flowed down her cheeks. Her sleeve had a dark spot where she wiped at her eyes. “Uhm, h-how’s the funeral planning?”

Hesitation tugged on Bonnie’s arm, but she answered honestly. “We’re starting today. I hope you know that you can always tell me if you’re not ready, and I’ll postpone the funeral−“

“No, no, it’s okay. I…I have to get it done with. Then I can try to heal, I guess. But…thank you, Aunt Bonnie,”

Taking her hands, Bonnie gently pressed a kiss to Josie’s forehead. “Okay, if you want that, I’ll do it.”

The smallest smile graced Josie’s downturned lips once more. “Alright,” she said in a voice as soft as a cloud of cotton.

They let their words take a moment to sink in, and Bonnie sat on the bed, patting the space next to her as an invite. Josie took it, flopping down beside her and throwing herself back onto the mattress, looking up at the ceiling. 

Bonnie followed suit, and both witches let the silence do the talking for a moment. It was a comfortable silence. That was, until, “Updates on your love life, maybe?”

A hoarse laugh escaped Jo’s lips. “A mess.”

“I happen to be an expert on messes. Feel like telling me why?”

“I do, actually,” Josie’s brows furrowed. “Penelope, the girl I told you about? she left for Belgium. Even though we fought, she still cared. She’d tried to tell me that she was leaving, but I just never listened. So, when she did leave…it just…it hurt, you know? A lot,” she said, her voice more balanced than it was a few moments ago. “I understood, though. I started to, anyway. And…”

Bonnie rose a brow. “Is there someone new?” 

Josie sighed. “Also used to be. His name’s Landon. We dated for a while, while Hope was…y’know, forgotten. It felt more like just having a fun time more than anything emotional. Gosh, we even almost had sex−“

“Oh, God no.” Bonnie said with a laugh, covering her mouth as she did to muffle it. She didn’t know if she was imagining it, but she thought she saw Josie laugh as well. More warm and happy.

“Yeah. Thank goodness he stopped me, though. I would’ve regretted that, if I’m being honest. He is a nice guy, just not for me, I guess. He left me for Hope,” The Parker twin continued, the sack of despair that weighed on her back now off. “As for that…”

“Oh?” Bonnie asked, her question dripping with curiosity.

Josette was about to feed into her aunt’s curiosity before she stopped herself and changed tracks. “You love digging into my business, don’t you?” she asked, a smile tugging on her lips. 

“If you continue, I promise you can dig into mine,”

“I’ll consider it.” 

“Well?”

“Well, Hope is…something different. I had a crush on her for a while, and I’m not sure of the feelings I had from that have completely evaporated, you know? It’s a very weird, rocky situation. I overheard that Hope was starting to doubt her relationship with Landon because of a simulation we experienced, but I’m not sure... It’s all a mess, as I said.”

“Want my advice?” Bonnie asked as she turned onto her side, head leaning on her arm. 

Josie mirrored the position. “Sure,”

The Bennett witch smiled. “I think that you need a moment for yourself. Some breathing room. No messy relationship and crush drama, but a break where you can focus on you. Not anyone else. It includes letting yourself be happy, do things that make the darkness just that little bit easier to deal with. You get what I mean? This week especially. It’ll be tough, but I’m with you in case you need an extra push in the right direction. Okay?”

Jo seemed to register the info, her brows crossed as she thought of it. Her shoulders relaxed a bit further, and she took in a deep breath before meeting Bonnie’s eyes and nodding. “That does sound…refreshing,” she considered with a hum. Her eyes grew darker when she seemed to remember that her father was dead, stuffed into a coffin, dead by something as measly yet human as a heart attack. At least he had a normal death. 

Turning onto her stomach, Bonnie’s legs swayed in the air. “At your own pace.” she reminded her. 

Josie pursed her lips and nodded. “Yeah,” she murmured. “Anyway,” she said, eager to change the subject. Bonnie couldn’t blame her. She was reminded enough of Alaric’s death as it is. “Now it’s my turn. How’s your life with Enzo? Paris?”

Bonnie sighed, considering her answer. It was a very smooth life there. They lived in a modern house, one that Enzo had compelled the real estate owner to hand over for free, though Bonnie did try to protest. He’d insisted, and she’d be lying if she said that she didn’t love the house. It was at the end of a forest, right next to a lake with a waterfall across them. Somehow the air was fresher there than in Mystic Falls. Then again, it was Paris, and the other was Virginia. Eventually, she answered, “Well, Paris is really pretty and we got tons of photos. Enzo and I are happy in our house, and we’re considering getting a pet…” she leaned in and finished in a whisper. “Personally, I want a cat.”

Josie laughed, her smile growing wider and more genuine, “Does Enzo not?”

“He’s not one for cats, more for dogs, but he’s willing to get both.”

“Hm, well, at least both animals will have each other for company. That’s really nice of him.” 

“Yeah. It is,” she agreed. Bonnie peeled herself off the bed, running her fingers through her hair. “I have to go now. Remember everything I told you and send me a text the second you need me, okay?” she said.

Jo sat up, arms in between her legs. The tired look that plagued her eyes when she first saw her was gone, and Bonnie felt a weight off her shoulders. The teen nodded, tucking a tendril of hair behind her ear. “Got it,” 

As Bonnie’s fingers wrapped around the handle and turned, she shot her a smile. The hall echoed when the door closed shut, and even more so as the witch descended the stairs.  
If only Jo knew that her father was no man worth crying over.  
Chatter hummed as she turned a corner, and Bonnie made out the voices to be Enzo’s and Rebekah’s. Hushed arguing, it seemed to be. 

“The coffin lid’s the wrong way, dimwit!” The Original hissed.

“How would you know? I have the chart!” Enzo hissed back.

“Because I’ve been in quite a few coffins myself, and I know how it goes!”

“The chart says otherwise,”

“Well, the chart is wrong,”

“I’m right here, you know…” Bonnie interrupted, walking down the hall and crossing her arms. “What are you two squabbling about?”

Enzo opened his mouth to respond but Rebekah cut him off before he could get a single syllable out. “Your boyfriend doesn’t know how to analyze something as simple as a bloody picture, apparently,” 

“Let me breathe, would you?” Enzo argued.

“No.”

“Okay, both of you, hush it. We have a whole school in mourning and we can’t waste time with…charts. Funeral’s tomorrow, we can’t have anything ruin it. It’s what the girls deserve. Got it?” Bonnie scolded, her tone sharp as it sliced through. 

Rebekah sighed, and Bonnie knew who she thought of− Hope. Retracting her claws, she took the chart and flipped it around. “You were looking at the wrong coffin type. That one’s the one we got.” She said as she pointed onto the paper.

“Oh,” Enzo said stiffly. “okay then,”

Bonnie’s mannerisms softened and she smiled again. “Good. Did the flowers arrive?”

Enzo nodded. “They’re by the door. The black ribbons should be there too, so we can hang them up on the ceiling with a bit of your magic,”

Nodding, she turned and headed to the door, spotting the bundle of décor in a bag. The leather of her boots squeaked as she dropped down, untying the rope sealing the bag and probing through the contents. She took out the flowers, which ranged from tulips to roses to…poison ivy?

Bonnie rose, confused. “Uh, Enzo? Rebekah? Can you both come here?” she called out, not taking her eyes off the poisonous plant. “Did any of you order poisonous plants?” 

Enzo stood beside Bonnie, looking down at the bag full of deadly greenery. “Not that I know of. There were supposed to be dandelions instead of that…can’t be a mistake.”

Rebekah’s presence next to Bonnie seemed to come from thin air. “You think someone did this on purpose? How do you know it’s not some poor sap who mixed it with another plant?”

“Whatever it is, we have to make sure nothing else like this happened. The moment you find something anything out of the ordinary, you tell me.”

Tilting her head, Rebekah’s eyes narrowed. “What’re you implying?”

Bonnie took the rope and tied it shut once more tightly. Swinging the bag onto her shoulder, she turned to face Rebekah. “I think someone’s trying to sabotage the funeral.”


	8. Important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twt:  
> @xenitiq  
> 

“You really think that it’s someone we know?” Enzo asked, arms crossed as he watched Bonnie toss the bag into the dumpster. 

She muttered under her breath, “Incendia,” and fire burst out with rage, crackling. As it started to die down, and the bag was starting to turn into ash, Bonnie turned. “Well, do people usually bring poisonous plants to a funeral? Someone has to have a grudge against him. As we learned from Caroline’s speech from when we first came, he’s done quite a lot, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone was doing this. I don’t think it’s the Necro guy either.”

“Well, who do you think it is?” 

“It’s hard to explain. Just a weird feeling that doesn’t make sense. I think I know, but I also don’t.” Bonnie murmured, brows crossed. The heat dwindled, and there was only the smell of smoke. 

Enzo clicked his tongue. “Ah. It’s that witchy sense of yours,”

“You could say so,” she answered simply. “I had a dream about Kai. He didn’t do anything alarming but just…waved. And the knife that Jo was killed with is missing. I don’t like it. It seems too much of a coincidence to be just a heart attack. But, Kai’s dead, right?”

Pursing his lips and leading Bonnie away from the dumpster, Enzo answered, “He should be. I heard that Ric beheaded him.”

“What about the Necromancer? Couldn’t he bring Kai back?”  
“Maybe. But he would’ve done it before Caroline had time to return. Why wait for more complications to arrive when the chance is right in front of you?” he asked, placing a hand on Bonnie’s shoulder. “Relax. For all we know, it really was just a mistake by some bloke.”

Bonnie chewed on her lip, barely noticing that they were back inside now. “It just doesn’t feel right, Enzo. You have to believe me.”

“I believe that you’re scared and worried. That’s okay, love. Maybe you should get some rest, save yourself the trouble of preparing the funeral.” Enzo rubbed the small of her back, pulling Bonnie into a brief kiss before letting go. He smiled before walking back to the room where the funeral would take place.

Bonnie’s hands curled to fists. Two people she thought would listen to her concerns just undermined her that easily. The audacity-

She noticed Nora at the end of the hall, talking briefly with Caroline. Her hair fell in lustrous locks effortlessly, and an infectious smile on her rose-coloured lips. They looked soft even from afar-

Get your shit together.

“Nora!” Bonnie called out just as Caroline left. 

The brunette turned around to the source of the voice, and their eyes met, locked on each other. 

It felt like a weight just dropped itself onto Bonnie’s chest, but at the same time her shoulders relaxed, and her worries disappeared almost instantaneously. It was the kind of thing that would be so sweet your tongue would bleed. Something stiffened in her, and Bonnie could feel her throat struggle to push out air and let it back in− not to mention the rapid heartbeats the hammered through her chest.

“Bonnie.”

She never felt so happy to hear someone say her name− it was music, one that she would keep on repeat over and over and never get over how it made her body grow warm. Bonnie watched as Nora approached, her steps near graceful. Angelic, even.

“I’m sorry I left the library. I wanted to leave you and Lizzie alone to talk. It’s none of my business, but is she okay?” The heretic asked. Sincerely, too. Like it wasn’t just for the sake of being nice. The butterflies in Bonnie’s stomach turned savage.

“Don’t worry about it. I appreciate that. Thank you.” Bonnie replied, trying her best not to stumble over her own words. “Lizzie’s not too well. But she’s a bit better after I spoke to her.”

Nora smiled, “That’s awfully sweet of you. I’m sure you make a great aunt to them,” she said. Her smile slipped a little. “Also, you never continued what you said about Ric’s death.”

Bonnie scratched at her arm. “Well…” she already had two people doubt her, she didn’t need a third. “I don’t know, I talked to two people about it and now it just feels dumb.” She admitted. 

The Bennett felt a warm and soft pair of hands hold hers.  
Her soul left her body.

Nora continued to hold to Bonnie’s hands. “Don’t doubt yourself. You can tell me anything and I’ll believe you. I wouldn’t hesitate for a second, and you shouldn’t either,” she assured firmly.

Surprised by how supportive she was, and also very near cardiac arrest, Bonnie stuttered, forgetting how to speak. 

The heretic didn’t seem to notice until she looked down and realized she was holding her hands. Bonnie thought she spotted a hint of pink blooming on Nora’s cheeks as she let go, looking away. “Uh, yeah. What I said. So, can you continue?”

Bonnie shook her head to keep herself sane, and then managed to form a sentence or two. “O-of course. Can we go somewhere quieter though? I don’t think what I’m about to tell you is something I can just say out in the open.”

“Oh, yeah, the room with that fireplace should do,” Nora said, grabbing Bonnie’s wrist without second thought and dragging her there. 

Despite herself, and how she’d usually snap at whoever grabbed her like that, Bonnie let out a laugh, following Nora to the room. When she let go, she went over to the table where all the drinks were. “Want a certain drink?”

“Anything will do. Except bourbon.” 

Bonnie laughed again, the weight on her chest slowly starting to lift. She was starting to grow comfortable.  
Maybe she liked that.

“I’ve also had enough of bourbon.” she replied, grabbing a bottle of wine by the neck and holding a glass with her other hand. The drink sloshed inside as she poured just a bit, then repeated the process with another glass. She approached the siphoner who now sat on the couch, legs crossed.

“Thank you.” She said softly as she took one of the glasses, her smile turning shy when she noticed that Bonnie sat next to her on the other end of the couch. 

Bonnie brought the glass to her lips, taking a humble sip before setting the glass on her lap and facing Nora. “So, about the death thing. Basically, I had a dream about Kai. Also known as the twins’ uncles and once heretic Gemini leader. He didn’t do anything to me in the dream, just his classic wave. Friendly but also unsettling. I also noticed that when I went to Ric’s office, there was a hidden compartment. From the looks of it, he’d kept the knife his wife was murdered with by Kai. Something just doesn’t make sense. It’s too much of a coincidence. Not to mention that we just ordered some plants for the funeral, and we got poison ivy.”

“Poison ivy? Aren’t those dangerous to the touch?” Nora asked, brows furrowed.

“They are. Very much so.” Bonnie said with a sigh, throwing her head back and letting out a frustrated groan.

Nora scratched at her head as she took a sip of the blood-red wine. “Isn’t Kai dead, though? Is there any way you know that he could come back to life with?” 

“I guess there’s the Necromancer guy, but I’m not sure. He would’ve done it much earlier. Another thing that bothers me is how…easily he died. I don’t think he would’ve actually gone down that fast.” Bonnie explained, and now that it was out, she really was starting to doubt herself less− especially considering that Nora wasn’t questioning her reliability immediately. It was a refreshing change, for sure.

“Yeah, that’s probably not it,” Nora said her delicate nose scrunched in thought. “Well, you’re a powerful witch, dealing with a heretic or not. Why don’t you try a locator spell? I mean, if he was alive, he probably would’ve blocked it, but it’s worth a try,” she suggested.

Bonnie pursed her lips. “I thought of that, but…”

“But?”

“I’m scared that I’m right.” she admitted, taking her last sip of wine and setting the now empty glass on the table. “I was so worried about him being alive− still am− that I keep forgetting to think of what I’m going to do. Say he’s alive. Now what? Try to kill him again? Send him to his fourth prison world? You know how ridiculous that sounds.”

Nora blinked. “Fourth? He’s been in three prison worlds?” she asked, brows raised and leaning in.

Her laugh echoed in the room as Bonnie nodded. “Yeah. 1994, 1903, and the one he just escaped before Ric hopefully killed him.”

Nora joined in, her empty glass joining Bonnie’s on the table. “Okay, no wonder he keeps getting out. You do realize that he always escaped because someone came, right? You think you’d learn the first time.”

“You’d think. I was the only one who actually bothered to protest against that,”

“Of course you were,” 

Bonnie twisted her bracelet, flushed. “Anyway. That’s the whole problem. I just needed to tell someone that won’t think I’m insane,” 

“You’re not. Who implied otherwise?” she asked, the softness in her features hardening into developing frustration and anger. Her brows were knitted, her lips parted, and Nora’s hand instinctively grabbed Bonnie’s.

If she had to be honest, Bonnie felt like a young teenager all over again. Heart hammering against her chest, words coming out with a stutter, she was just missing the awkward smile. It was odd; she felt so comfortable yet somehow a tad shy, which was unlike herself. At least she still got to act calm. “Forget that. I’d rather be focused on more important things,”

“So, you count me as important?” Nora said with a laugh of pure and inviting gold.

“Of course I do. How could I not? I think you’re quite a great person.” More than you’ll ever know.

“I think you’re great too,” Nora seemed to be holding back, but she played it off. “Anyways,” she continued. “Do you want to go to a picnic later? Y’know, just to de-stress for a bit before we go back to real life,” Nora chewed on her lip, and her grip tightened the slightest bit on Bonnie’s hand before she let go.

The jade-eyed witch took a moment to process what she just heard. It was platonic, obviously. Surely. Probably. She loved only one man, and that was Lorenzo St. Jo-

“So? What do you think?” Nora asked, more giddy than before. 

The world stopped spinning.

Bonnie smiled, taking Nora’s hand again. “Of course."


	9. Special.

“Where are you going?” Enzo asked from the doorway.

Turning away from the mirror, Bonnie answered, “Just a picnic.” She turned back to her reflection, evaluating her fit for the picnic with Nora. Without looking back at Enzo, she asked, “What do you think?” she said, giving it a little swirl before facing him again.

It was comfortable; a strapless black shirt with long sleeves that hugged her arms, white denim shorts with frayed ends, and black sneakers.

Enzo gave her a thumbs up. “Gorgeous as usual. Who are you going on a picnic with?” he asked, raising a skeptical brow. He seemed more troubled seeing her this time. Why, though? They were fine.

Bonnie shrugged, running a hand through her hair. “Nora. Just to catch up and have a distraction from everything that’s going on. Nothing special.” She assured. “Thank you,” she added with a grin, leaving her place at the mirror and grabbing a picnic basket laid on the bed, filled with things like jam, a classic white and red checkered picnic blanket, and sandwhiches. Nora promised to bring the fruits and plates. Warmth filled her heart at the thought of her name again. She bit her bottom lip and looked down.

Tension slowly started to seep into the room, and Bonnie snapped out of her reverie and picked up the basket. “Anyways,” she started, “I’ll get going now. Take care of things and don’t kill Bekah.”

No words left his mouth for a good moment before he answered with a weak chuckle, “I won’t. Have fun,” he said as he waved goodbye.

Bonnie waved back with a smile before sliding past him out the door and down the stairs. Her steps were eager and faster than usual, she felt a sense of giddiness that should feel wrong, but…it didn’t.

It was probably just her emotions getting mixed up after Alaric’s death. Right? Right.

An arm hooked around hers.

“Found you,” Nora said. Carrying her picnic basket in her other arm, and her hair cascaded down her shoulders and stopped at her chest, with the exception of small braids at the sides connecting at the back like a wreath. A simple sundress with a thin belt at the waist complimented her figure, and she donned a pair of boots. “I like your sense of fashion.” She complimented with an infectious smile. Genuinely happy, it seemed.

The Bennett returned her smile, her cheeks growing warmer. That compliment…was it just a normal one, just a casual thought, or was it a genuine-

_Stop it._

_No._

_This feels right._

“Thank you! I love your hair,” she said, genuinely fascinated by how silky and well-taken care of it looked. Instinctively, she reached out to run her fingers through it but stopped herself, her arm dropping beside her again. The handle of the basket started to slip from her grip from the new coat of sweat that started to cover her palms. Bonnie gulped. “So how’s your stay in the Salvatore School so far?” she asked in an attempt to take her mind off of how _ethereal_ Nora looked. Her very aura radiated beauty—both in and out. Putting it to words did not do her any justice.

A smile graced Nora’s rosy lips, and everything in the world felt like it was right where it was supposed to be. She took a moment to think of her answer, pushing open the front door and letting Bonnie through first as she did. “Well…” she started, ruffling her hair, the sun hitting her face with an angelic light. “When you ignore the death of the old headmaster, it’s actually not all bad. I like how they changed the Salvatore brothers’ house into a school. I didn’t think it would be possible, really,” she admitted. “but here we are.” she said, gesturing to the nature surrounding them.

“I didn’t think they could either.” Bonnie agreed with a laugh. The soft wind weaved through both Bonnie and Nora’s hair, and she noticed a large, blossoming tree that seemed perfect for a spot. Reaching for Nora’s hand and lacing her fingers with hers, Bonnie pointed to the spot with her other hand. “Do you want to settle down there?” she asked with a grin, turning to Nora.

Nora’s cheeks turned pink, and both witches noticed how perfectly their fingers fit interlaced together—the soft and reassuring touch of skin against skin. Bonnie noticed Nora’s breathing hitch, and their eyes met, both speechless. A heartbeat later, Nora smiled and looked away, drawing her attention to the tree. “The spot’s perfect, Bonnie,” she assured in a softer voice, looking back to her. With a giggle, she pulled the Bennett towards it, her dress flowing smoothly like satin.

Bonnie let out a surprised laugh at Nora’s pleasant reaction to such a forward move. The laugh turned into a wide smile and she followed, nearly tripping over from the pull, causing her to laugh more.

Once they reached, Bonnie set down her picnic basket and pulled out the blanket, gently laying it on the grass. The witches sat down beside each other, unpacking the baskets and setting each of the item in their places.

“Oh, what are the sandwiches made of?” Nora asked, leaning over to pick one of the sandwiches and biting into it.

“Bologna, tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, a bit of jam, normal things…sorry if it’s basic, I-“

“No, it’s really good!” Nora assured, resting her hand on Bonnie’s shoulder.

Bonnie let out a chuckle, smiling. “I’m glad you think that.” she noticed a hint of jam at the edge of Nora’s lips. “You have a jam on your face,” she said with a gentle laugh, reaching over with a tissue and wiping it away.

Her lips seemed so soft and inviting.

Nora blushed in embarrassment but didn’t argue. It was hard not to stare into each other’s eyes as she wiped the spot. The tension was thick enough to cut through.

Both snapped out of their trance and looked away, Bonnie keeping her space. “Sorry, I shouldn’t’ have—“

“Don’t worry, it’s okay. Just helping me out.” Nora said once again, giving Bonnie’s arm a soft rub before leaning back again.

How Bonnie wasn’t combusting, she didn’t know. Her touch was of soft silk. She could never get tired of it. Nodding, she reached over for the second sandwich and started to eat as well.

“So,” Nora said, eager as though to talk to get through the tension. “do you have any projects or hobbies that you’ve started? New interests?” she asked, angling her head to the side and continuing to rip out pieces of her sandwiches.

The Bennett witch was also very eager to get through the thick air, and was somewhat surprised by the question. She’d never really thought about it. “Come to think of it…I’m not sure. I am planning on making a new Grimoire, the other one is starting to break down after all these years.” A shrug. “Speaking of Grimoires, how’s yours?” she asked, wiping her hands with a new tissue after finishing her sandwich. Reaching over, she grabbed two strawberries.

The heretic’s brows rose. “Grimoire? Oh, I’ve never had one of those,” she admitted, her eyes trailing to the strawberries before going back to Bonnie. She scratched at her chin, “Although it does sound nice starting something like that.”

Taken aback, Bonnie’s brows furrowed for a bit. “How come? Grimoires are basically one of the most important tools in witchcraft.” she asked, picking out the green part of the ripe strawberries.

Nora laughed lightly, running her fingers through her hair once more. “I don’t know! I just never came around to having one. I don’t think I ever had time to.”

“Do you think you ever will?”

“Well, now I’m interested. I might. Maybe you could guide me a bit as you make yours.” she suggested with a smile.

Bonnie blushed lightly. “That sounds fun. I’d love to. We could make it like one of those aesthetically pleasing ones.”

“Oh, yeah! Maybe we could go to one of those witch-esque shops. I heard they had things like crystals and wands and herbs, not to mention a load of candles. How does that sound?”

“Great! I’m already looking forward to it.”

Both witches smiled at each other, in harmony and comfortable with each other. It was peaceful, and it was like nothing else in the world could compare. The world itself seemed to slow time for them. Only them, together, under the shadow of the tree, on a picnic.

Remembering the strawberries in her hand, Bonnie bit off the end of one of them and gestured for Nora to take the other. With a smile, she did.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you this, but, how do you feel about Kai himself?” Nora asked, soon after adding, “You don’t have to tell me if you’re not comfortable, by the way,” she reassured the Bennett.

“No, I’m okay with it,” Bonnie replied, chewing on her lip as she thought about her answer. Tucking a hair behind her ear, she took a deep breath and said, “I hate him. He was annoying, an ass, and manipulated me tons of times. Not to mention, he left me in a prison world to rot, leading me to almost _kill myself._ Frankly, I really hope that my dream about him was just that. A dream. But I know in my very _bones_ there’s more to it. So, yeah. I don’t want to deal with that.” she said, all of it coming out in one long ramble. When she was done, Bonnie’s voice was weaker, and her eyes were glassy. Her hands were curled into loose fists at her sides. With a sigh, she was about to wipe at her teary eyes before Nora held her wrists to stop her.

“Hey. It’s okay. I know what he did to you was horrible and nothing can excuse that, but I’m here for you, okay? You can cry. Cry for as long as you want, and I’ll be there. I’m not leaving. Even if you put me through the harshest obstacles, I’ll be there. Because you, Bonnie Bennett, are special, and a great…person to me.” Nora said softly, holding Bonnie’s cheeks and wiping the tears with her thumbs. “You’re one of a kind and one of the strongest witches. You’re feared. You’re powerful. Nothing and no one will change that.” she said, planting a kiss on her forehead and then pulling her into a hug.

Bonnie didn’t care at this point to panic whether it was platonic or not. The words she’d heard made her lose all control on her emotions. Burying her face in Nora’s neck, she sobbed. She didn’t feel judged, nor unsafe. When Nora said it, she said it with such kindness and gentleness that it was impossible to see her as anything but. Quivering, Bonnie’s arms tightened around Nora. “Thank you.” she whispered onto her neck.

Nora rubbed Bonnie’s back soothingly. “You don’t thank me. This is the bare minimum. You deserve to be told the truth.” She said with a sad smile.

The Bennett gulped, wiping at the last of her tears with her sleeve. “Sorry, I ruined this picnic.” She said apologetically, rubbing at the back of her neck.

Shaking her head, Nora made it clear that she disagreed. “I don’t think so. I think you made it a lot more…personal. A lot more special. I like that.”

Bonnie could do nothing but smile to herself. “You’re really special too, you know. You as a person, it’s magnetizing. I’ve never felt so drawn to a person like you. I think not enough people know your worth.” she said. “You’re a good person, Nora.”

“Oh, wow,” Nora said to herself, partially surprised. “I haven’t heard words like that in a long time. Coming from you, it resonates more.” she reached over for Bonnie’s hand and gave the slightest graze of her lips against her skin before leaving a kiss and letting go. As warm as her cheeks were growing, Nora still said, “Thank you.” She said with a smile.

Her emotions were clashing everywhere, but one thing was definitely sure.

This was right.

Without thinking, Bonnie held Nora's cheek and pulled her in for a kiss.


End file.
